Submitting a Proposal

Submit a Proposal Global Gathering Proposals

The Global Gathering is a unique in-person event that brings together digital rights defenders from around 144+ countries for three days of networking, collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and rejuvenation. We co-design our event with our global community, representative of different disciplines, backgrounds and regions, who value collaborative, bottom-up, and joyful approaches.

The Format

Many satellite events, organized by partners, will take place during the Global Gathering and incorporate more traditional event formats, such as workshops, panels, and training etc. However, at the Global Gathering itself, we are offering participants the opportunity to host two types of programming - Circles and Booths - formats which enhance creativity, collective brainstorming, trust-building, critical thinking, and an authentic exchange of ideas

Circles can be either a collaborative discussion or meetup facilitated by one or more participants that run 45 minutes. A Circle brings people together to explore or exchange information about a certain topic OR enhances networking between peoples that share similar goals, interests, or commonalities. This means a proposed Circle can range from “Circumvention Tech Challenges in X Country” to “Latin America Regional Meetup”.

If you propose a Circle, you are committing to being trained virtually by TCU BEFORE YOU ARRIVE IN ESTORIL on how to facilitate a Circle in an effective and equitable way.

Booths allow individuals to showcase their project / work or organization, run a tool demo, or even conduct a skillshare or support desk. Most importantly, it allows you the opportunity to have more direct, one-to-one communication with GG participants. Your two-hour shift will run in one of the many permanent and electricity-powered, wooden kiosks.

You can decorate your Booth as you see fit, as well as bring your computer(s) with the virtual materials you want to showcase.

Need more than a two-hour shift? We encourage you to check out our Partners Program by emailing gather@digitalrights.community.

Note: We cannot receive or store materials that you want to use for your Booth or Circle. We will also not be providing any AV equipment for Booths or Circles. While the Booths are covered, it is important to note that the rest of the venue is outdoor and not weather-proofed.

Proposal Tracks

ANY PROPOSED CIRCLE OR BOOTH must be submitted under one of the four tracks listed below. Proposals will be evaluated by TCU using a number of criteria, with equal distribution of activities across all four tracks being a key criterion for selection.

For additional information about what makes a good Booth or Circle proposal, refer to the TCU wiki: https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Proposal_Submissions

Ecosystem Wellbeing: Sustainability and wellbeing of the digital rights ecosystem. This track will be a unique opportunity to promote dialogues between different stakeholders to advance policies and practices that strengthen organizations and networks in the ecosystem and impact the quality of the work we produce.

Sample Issues: building the capacity of local / regional networks, building impactful collaborations across regional and professional lines, attracting and onboarding new talent to the ecosystem, labor rights for digital rights defenders, sustainability of small- and medium-sized organizations working on digital rights, improving funding and grantmaking scenarios, equity and inclusion…

Circumvention Technologies: Dedicated to developers and maintainers of any type of circumvention infrastructure. This track facilitates spaces where public-interest technologists from all over the world will be able to exchange ideas, experiences and eventually produce new projects.

Sample Issues: VPNs, pluggable transport technologies, encryption, addressing evolving censorship mechanisms, internet blackouts, building technologies for highly censored regions, autonomous infrastructures…

Security, Threats and Risks: This track presents security in a holistic context, focusing on the risks impacting freedom of expression, freedom of information, and privacy, security and safety of civil society. Diverse stakeholders, ranging from security experts and tech developers to journalists and media specialists, can collectively brainstorm.

Sample Issues: journalists at risk, media co-option by political agendas, digital security for dissenting voices, security of civil society spaces and organizations, confronting evolving surveillance, improving threat information sharing…

Digital Rights 2050: This track focuses on anticipating scenarios of action for the global community of digital rights defenders, for example emerging threats. Digital rights is a field that constantly needs to incorporate new topics and challenges given the fast developments in digital technologies and their impact on society. This theme is meant to give us some time to reflect and think about what's coming down the pipeline.

Sample Issues: general emerging challenges, climate and tech, the future of human rights and tech, inter-regional collaboration for policy work, art and digital rights, civic tech, copyleft, internet governance… Important Details Before You Submit a Proposal

Each Circle and Booth must have a primary contact with whom TCU will communicate about proposal status and coordination. If your Circle is accepted, you will be required to take a virtual training before you arrive in Estoril and follow TCU’s facilitation approach. We will prioritize Circle proposals that are collaborations between individuals from more than one organization. Booths are a great option if you want to showcase your project or organization, or run a more interactive exercise, such as a tool demo or game. (Note, Booths can also be a collaboration between different parties.) We will not be providing any technical equipment, meaning you will not have access to microphones, projectors, etc. In addition, the entire venue is outdoors, with limited access to Wi-Fi. While Booths will have access to electricity, Circles will not. If you would like to use any technical equipment in your Booth, you will need to bring it yourself. If you think your project would benefit for a longer shift, we are open to accommodate it. Please indicate how much additional time and why in your application. You can submit as many Booth and Circle proposals as you would like.